The present invention relates to a protective suit which is environmentally controlled such that the user may work in comfort. More particularly, the present invention relates to a disposable environmentally controlled suit.
In the industrial environment of today, workers in some industries have daily job functions which require protective clothing in order to protect the worker from hazards which may irritate or damage the clothing or skin of the worker. For instance, in modern boat building operations using fiberglass materials, it is common to have at least one worker who spends the majority of his working hours grinding and finishing fiberglass materials. While hardened fiberglass materials are not particularly hazardous or life threatening, the fibers and dusts created during working with fiberglass may tend to damage clothes and irritate the skin if they are allowed to accumulate on the clothes or skin. In other industries, workers are required to wear protective clothing when entering certain areas where hazardous materials are present. Thus, it has been common in such industries to provide disposable coverall garments for workers.
In order to perform their primary protective function, it is required that such garments be made of relatively non-permeable and inert material. In addition, it is preferable that such garments be relatively inexpensive so that they can simply be disposed of after several wearings by the worker. An example of an appropriate material for such suits is a polylaminated spun polyolefin known as a TYVEK.RTM., a registered trademark of du Pont, a Delaware corporation. Suits made from this material have been found to be light weight, durable, inexpensive, and relatively inert to many hazardous substances found in such working environments and therefore, are ideally suited for use in protective coveralls. However, due to the relative non-permeable nature of such material, the suits are not "breathable" which would assist in eliminating water vapor due to perspiration. Thus, while these suits do protect the workers, they are also somewhat problematic in that they generally lock in heat and moisture such that the worker becomes uncomfortable after a relatively short period of time when wearing the suit. Frequently, this requires work stoppage in order for the worker to recover from the overheated condition created. In some work environments, the worker may experience discomfort shortly after putting on the suit. At times, workers are even prone to unzipping the suit or otherwise creating holes in the suit to exhaust some of the perspiration and heat thereby defeating the protective purpose of the suit.
There have been some attempts to increase the comfort in these suits by utilizing supplied air type devices. For instance, in some extremely hazardous environments it is necessary to utilize supplied air helmets to provide suitable breathing air for the worker. Such a helmet may be provided with a Hilsch or vortex tube which injects a cooled stream of air into the helmet for breathing and for cooling the head of the worker. However, such air is generally not circulated into the body portion of the coverall for ventilating the body of the worker. Another such unit is a diffused air vest type garment which is designed to be worn underneath a protective suit and covers the torso of the worker. Such a vest, while helping to cool the immediate area around the torso, does not provide ventilation of the legs and arms of the worker. Also, because the vest is worn inside of the coverall, an air inlet must be routed into the suit or through the suit, thereby leaving an extra hole or orifice in the suit which must be sealed to prevent the entry of hazardous substances. Furthermore, because of its relatively high cost, such vests are not directly disposable should hazardous substances be deposited on the vest material or if the vest is otherwise damaged.
Thus, there is a need to provide a disposable protective suit which has an environmental control feature to provide protection and comfort to the worker.